Crocheting the Last Skein

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As I prepared for my main outdoor craft fair of the 2021 season, I sorted through my fingerless gloves to determine my displays.  A favorite sale item has been the exquisite, cushy, long gloves crocheted from Premier Appalachia  Yarn.  The yarn is a single ply, bulky weight, sel-striping fiber that is 90% acrylic and 10% alpaca. The yarn is luxurious, and the colors are gradual and sophisticated.  Several years ago I found a 50% off display at my large craft store, and I bought about 12 skeins.  Although there were only 140 yards in a 200 gram unit, I set aside 1 skein to use to combine to finish off the individual pairs.  Many of my customers sought out these gloves for holiday presents, and I presented a pair to a few selected friends.  

I knew that I had come to the end of my stash of this fiber as I held the last piece that included off white, light grey, gold, and pale apricot tones.  I stroked the yarn. and divided it in half as I began to crochet my last pair. I realized that I would not have enough to finish off the last few yards of the top, but luckily I had a remnant of gold LionHeart Scarfie that would blend well with the other shades.

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A couple of weeks before the fair, I set out in search of yarns that would replace my beloved chunky #5 Appalachia.  I was after a yarn that yielded the softness, beautiful colors, and stitch definition of my beloved fiber.  

One of my best matches was Symphony by Bernat.  The yarn is a single ply, bulky weight, self-striping fiber that is 80% acrylic and 20% wool.  The yarn comes in 225 grams for 309 yard balls.  The yardage allowed me to crochet a luxurious pair of long fingerless gloves and a matching beanie hat.  At sale price of about $7.99, I could rationalize a purchase price of $40 for the set. I had not finished the beanies in time for this first fair, but Iwill be ready for another outdoor fair or possible online sale.In the future, Could also use one skein for 2 sets of fingerless gloves.  However, I might have add a coordinating bulky yarn for the last couple of rows.

Mandalla Watercolor Yarn by Lionbrand gives a hand dyed look.  This bulky yarn is also single ply in a blend that is 75% acrylic, 15% wool, and 10%, nylon.  The Almond colorways that includes cream, tan, and medium brown included 164 yards that was just enough to complete the long fingerless glove with a few rows of border.  A customer at the fair bought it up quickly, and it was one of my first sales of the day.

The Charisma Yarn by Loops and Threads From Michaels was at the bulkier end of the #5 range.  Each 200 gram skein included 109 yards, and I had to use 2 skeins for each pair of gloves.  The pale strawberry-multi was one of my favorites.  The rust, blue, and black yarn was dynamic.  The self-striping yarn is 100 % acrylic and quite plushy to touch. With a price point of approximately $4.49 per skein, my cost per pair of gloves was $9.50. I will probably have to change my prices for the plushy bulky yarns to $25 or $30 while I keep my worsted styles at $20.

LionBrand Scafie has long been a favorite of mine, but is on the thinner side of the #5 range. This self-striping yarn yarn is 78% acrylic and 22% wool. I selected a Cream Taupe and later bought a Pink Silver. The 312 yards enabled me to crochet a pair of gloves as well as a beanie.  In fact I went back to JOANNs to buy some other yarn and bought another skein to crochet a matching scarf.  I am planning to show case these sets with others in a forthcoming article.  I will also include a pattern for the crocheted scarf at that time.

The bulkiest of the #5 self-striping yarns was The Joann Big Twist Arcarde Yarn.  It is a single fiber 100% acrylic yarn with smooth color movements. The skein weighs in at 150 grams and includes 154 yards.  However, I was in for an unpleasant surprise. I expected to need a few yards of a compatible bulky yarn to finish off the top of my fingerless mittens.  However, I completely ran out of yarn when I was at the midway point of the second glove and had to return to the store to secure enough yarn to finish the set.  Even at a sale price of $5.99, the cost for a pair was almost $12.  The gloves are thick and luxurious, but this meant that I would have to increase my purchase price on these bulky gloves as well.  

My last selection was Latte Cakes by Caron (Yarnspirations) .  This subtle self-striping yarn comes in delicate shades with a fuzzy surface.  The skein weighs 250 grams and includes 530 yards. Although the yarn is labelled a bulky #5, it seems thin for that category.  The gloves and hat are soft to the touch.  The fiber content is 58% acrylic and 42% nylon.  Although the yarn cost $9.99 I was able to crochet both a pair of gloves and a hat from a single skein.  If I sold the pieces as a set for $40, I could recoup my costs. If I use this yarn again, I could also fashion 2 sets of gloves out of the single skein.

I have finished the gloves and am almost done with the Latte Cakes Hat.  Of all of the yarns,I think that the Symphony by Bernat was my favorite.  The gloves were plushy, and there was just enough yarn for the beanie hat.  

The Chunky Yarn Fingerless Gloves Pattern is a modification of my mismatched worsted pattern. It works best with the middle to heavy chunkier yarns.  For the lighter skeins, you may wish to  refer back to the original worsted pattern.

Chunky Yarn Fingerless Glove Pattern

This pattern is a modified version of my Mismatched Fingerless Gloves that are crocheted with worsted weight yarn.  The main differences occur in the hand below the thumbhole and at the top of the thumbhole  Instead of 8 rows of Granny stitch groups below the thumbhole, I call for 6 rows.  At the top of the glove, I simply crochet 2 rows of single crochet instead of the more elaborate shell border. Since the bulky yarn is heavier, I have left off the flower that I have added to many of my worsted weight gloves.  I have added a decorative button many of my fingerless gloves.  However, this decoration may not be needed for the plushy chunky gloves.  some customers feel that it catches or gets in the way.
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Materials:  Approximately 165 yards of bulky #5 yarn; 5.0 H hook ()to ket that thicker texture for the glove); large eye needle for weaving in ends. Please note that most manufacturers call for a 6.5mm or K hook to be used with the bulky weight yarn.  However, I prefer the density and stitch definition that is achieved with a 5.0mm or H hook.

Directions:
Cuff:  Chain 13 stitches.  HDC in second stitch from hook and continue across (12 stitches)
Row 2-20 Ch 1, HDC in back loop
Single crochet short ends together
Body of glove:
Row 1:  ch 1, HDC in same stitch and around for 24 stitches, sl stitch to join
Row2: After join seam,Ch 3.  S DC in same space.  Skip 2 stitches.  3 DC group in next space,  Continue around for total of 8 clusters.  Slip stitch to join.
Row 3:  Continue  in tops of group to space between clusters.  Crochet 3 DC for form cluster.  Continue around and slip stitch to join.
Row 4-6 Repeat Row 3.
Thumbhole:
Row 7: Continue in top of cluster to form first group of thumb hole row.  Continue around to form 7 clusters.  In the next row you will reverse direction of stitches.
Row 8: Chain 2.  Form a Double Crochet cluster in next spaced continue around.  You will end with a double crochet.
Row 9:  Form a Double Crochet Cluster in first space.  Continue around with Double Crochet clusters inch space, ending with a Double Crochet Group.  
Row 10:   Chain 2.  Form a Double Crochet Group in next spaced continue around.  You will end with a double crochet.
Row 11:  Form a Double Crochet Cluster in first space.  Continue around with Double Crochet group in each space, ending with a Double Crochet Group.  Slip stitch to close. This is the close of the thumb hole opening.
Top of Glove above Thumbhole:
Row 12:  Slip stitch on top of DC group until you reach the first space.  Chain 2 and crochet 2 DC in same space.  Continue with 3 DC in each space around.  Close with slip stitch.  You will have 8 groups again at the top of the thumbhole.
Row 13:  Slip stitch across the top of the stitches in the first group.  In next space, Chain 2 and make 2 more DC in the same space.  Continue around until you have 8 groups and close n top of next stitch with slip stitch.
Row 14:   Slip stitch across the top of the stitches in the first group.  In next space, Chain 2 and make 2 more DC in the same space.  Continue around until you have 8 groups and close n top of next stitch with slip stitch.
​Row 15-16:  Chain 1.  Make a single crochet inch stitch around and close with slip stitch.
Finish off and weave in ends.